Indian Court Reinstates Head Of Police Agency In Blow To Delhi

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India’s highest court ordered the reinstatement of the head of the country’s top crimefighting bureau on Tuesday, in a blow to the government that has been accused of undermining it
In October, the Central Bureau of Investigation was paralysed after director Alok Verma and his second-in-command, Rakesh Asthana, accused each other of bribery and interference in police investigations
The government placed both men on leave, ordering a probe into the allegations
But on Tuesday, India’s Supreme Court said Verma would be reinstated as CBI head, though he will not be able to take major policy decisions until the government completes its investigation
The spat has embarrassed the CBI, that serves a similar role as the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and led to accusations India’s government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to undermine India's independent institutions
“I do not see it solely as a victory for Alok Verma
“I see it as a victory for the independence of investigative agencies in this country,” Verma’s lawyer, Sanjay Hegde, told reporters on Tuesday
The opposition Congress Party said in a statement it welcomed the verdict, which it said “lambasted” the government’s decision to place Verma on leave
In a petition to the Supreme Court Verma had earlier said his ousting “erodes the independence of the institution” as well as officers’ morale, and which analysts said was part of a wider pattern of government authoritarianism
The CBI is currently investigating several high profile cases, including a US$2 billion fraud at Punjab National Bank involving fugitive diamond billionaire Nirav Modi and loan defaults by liquor baron Vijay Mallya
- Reuters

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